• Juneteenth – A Day to Acknowledge & Celebrate

    Juneteenth National Independence Day is our nations first federal holiday established since Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This year, Juneteenth will be commemorated on Saturday, June 19th. “Juneteenth being made a Federal Holiday is long overdue. It’s sad that our children weren’t taught Black History in school. Had they been taught they would know all the GREAT things we as Black people contributed to the World in which we live.” – Belinda Joyner, Clean Water for NC Juneteenth, also called Emancipation Day, Freedom Day or Freedom Day or Jubilee Day commemorates June 19, 1865, as the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston,…


    Continue reading
  • Letter from your ED: “Thank You for 22 Years, Hope!”

    We have been one blessed organization, enjoying the knowledge, skills, and expertise of Hope Taylor, our former Executive Director for 22 years.  Even before Hope took on the ED role in 1999, she was an active participant and volunteer of Clean Water for North Carolina (CWFNC).  As your new ED, I have some big shoes to fill and the shoulders of a giant on which to stand. As I stepped into this amazing position, I was honored that Hope offered to stay onboard for several weeks through the transition and to remain an active participant in our incredible non-profit.  With…


    Continue reading
  • The International Challenge of World Water Day—March 22nd!

    As Clean Water for NC and all of our members and allies continue to work for Safe, Affordable Water for All in our state, it’s crucial to keep in mind that much of the world lacks the water and wastewater management that we’ve MOSTLY been able to take for granted in the US. The theme of this year’s United Nations World Water Day is “Valuing Water,” calling on individuals and nations to assess the complex multiple values water holds in our lives, health, culture and economies and making decisions to protect, restore and manage it accordingly. A strong focus of…


    Continue reading
  • Celebrating the History of Black Communities and their Fight for Justice in NC

    Clean Water for North Carolina celebrates the achievements and efforts of communities that continue the fight for justice, equality, and healthy, safe environments to call home. In North Carolina, Black communities have a long history of resilience and activism. The following descriptions, while not comprehensive, offer a brief look into this history and the people, places, and groups that have made a difference. Princeville, NC was incorporated in 1885 and stands as the oldest town incorporated by Black Americans in the United States, though its place as a community predates that. It was originally known as Freedom Hill…


    Continue reading
  • Gov. Cooper nominates Dionne Delli-Gatti, another EDF alum, to lead Department of Environmental Quality

    By: Lisa Sorg, NC Policy Watch February 16, 2021 Dionne Delli-Gatti, who previously worked as for the Environmental Defense Fund, is Gov. Roy Cooper’s pick to head the NC Department of Environmental Quality, his office announced today. Delli-Gatti was EDF’s director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs and Southeast Climate and Clean Energy Initiatives. Former DEQ Secretary Michael Regan, now on his way to becoming EPA administrator, had also worked for EDF, focusing on clean energy. According to her EDF bio, Delli-Gatti “focused on maintaining North Carolina’s position as a clean energy leader and on promoting clean energy goals in other…


    Continue reading
  • Urge Tillis, Burr to Protect All North Carolinians in COVID Relief Package

    People cannot safely stay at home without electricity, water, or internet. Black, Brown, Indigenous and other communities of color have been hit hardest in keeping up with bills and rent during the COVID pandemic. Congress must stand up for all of us, but especially the most vulnerable, and ensure that a national moratorium on all utility services, as well as a national moratorium on evictions and an extension of the federal unemployment subsidy, is a priority in the next relief package currently in negotiations. This virus has taken a large financial toll on North Carolinians with an estimated…


    Continue reading
  • Amanda Strawderman: Completing Census could help fight pollution in NC

    By: Amanda Strawderman, Opinion Editorial in Fayetteville Observer August 20, 2020 Too many communities across the country are faced with living in unhealthy environments due to pollution related to drinking water and air quality. Environmental Justice (EJ) is the reality, backed by statistics, that polluting industries have historically targeted areas of low-income, or communities of color. The federal Environmental Protection Agency created a tool known as the EJ Screen with the purpose of identifying disproportionate impacts of pollution to such communities throughout the country. Grassroots leaders, environmental advocates and the public should be able use this tool to help prevent permits that…


    Continue reading
  • United We Grow – Collaboration for Racial Justice & Environmental Justice

    Image caption: 1982, Warren County residents protested a planned toxic landfill in their mostly African American community, considered to be the first “spark” of the national Environmental Justice Movement. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Featured article from our latest edition of Clean Currents, Clean Water for NC’s quarterly newsletter providing updates on our program work and ways to get involved with the Environmental Justice movement in North Carolina Sign up to receive a paper copy of our Newsletter or an e-Newsletter to your inbox! From the sharp rise in unemployment to the global pandemic impacting us…


    Continue reading
  • Duke, Dominion Cancel Plans for Unjust Atlantic Coast Pipeline

    The cancelling the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a  victory for justice of many kinds! Environmental Justice, because the African American and Indigenous communities along the pipeline route can breathe easier that this massive project that will not victimize them yet again by disproportionately harming their health, safety, economics and access to their lands.  Climate justice, as the routine emissions of methane from the ACP and the fracked gas it supplied were estimated in our 2019 study to increase climate impacts by as much as 13% over EPA’s estimate of current national methane releases. Economic Justice, as ratepayers of the mega-utilities Duke and…


    Continue reading
  • Presentations from 35th Annual Meeting Celebration!

    Thanks to all those who attended our 35th Anniversary Celebration working with NC communities to promote environmental justice! Check out the presentations from our wonderful speakers by clicking on the links below: Fighting the Harms of Coal Ash – Complete Excavation, Increased Threats To Communities  Deborah Graham, SalisburyBobby Jones, GoldsboroXavier Boatright, Clean Water for NC


    Continue reading